Design experiment to test air conditioner performance at different ambient temps

[chelcers]

Homework Statement

I have access to a test facility for window type air conditioners that has a small room that is used to simulate the outdoors. I need to use the facility to test the effect of temperature on the performance of one of our window type AC units. The performance must e done as a function of temperature at the different air conditioner settings.

Homework Equations

COP = Q/W = 1/ (T_outside/T_inside - 1)

The Attempt at a Solution

I think finding the COP at different temps would give a good representation of the AC performance but I'm not sure how to experimentally determine this. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[rude man]

Your formula is for a reversible process and so is all but useless for what you're trying to do, except to see how much lower your COP is compared to that of a reversible (e.g. Carnot) process.

You say you have a room set aside to simulate the outdoors. I hope you also have a room set aside for the indoors. The "outdoors" room should be temperature-controlled, call it T_o. The "indoor" room should be thermally insulated and its dimensions known, so you can determine the heat capacity of the air C. Record the "indoor" temperature = T_i. You then run the a/c until T_i has decreased by ΔT_i deg C. Meanwhile you have a wattmeter or power meter hooked up so you know the energy E used to raise T_i by ΔT_i deg.

The performance (efficiency) of the unit at each set temperature T_o is then COP = CΔT_i/E. I would use ΔT_i = 2 or 3 deg C.

You can get handy plug-in power meters from companies like Belkin.